Apparatus for edge-uniting veneers.



No. 709,864. Patented Sept. 30, |902.

W. M. BUENNING. APPARATUS FOR EDGE UNITING VENEERS.

(Application filed Aug. 1, 1Q-1.)

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w.. M. BENN'ING. APPARATUS FDR EDGE UNITING VENEERS.

(Application med Aug. 1, 1901.

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W. M. BOENNING. K `APPARATUS FDH EDGE UINITING VENEERS.

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w M. Bosmans. Y APPARATUS FOB EDGE UNITING VENEERS.

rApplication flied Aug. 1. 1901.1

No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

No. 709,864. v Patented Sept. 30, |902.

W. M. BAOENNING. APPARATUS FDR EDGE UNITING VENEERS.

(Application led Aug. l, 1901.) V (no Model.) 7 sneetsf-sheat v,

No. 709,864. Patented sept. '30, |902.

w. M. soENNmG.

APPARATUS FOB EDGE UNITING VENEEBS.

. (Application led Aug. 1. 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. BOENNING, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN.

APPARATUS FOR EDGE-UNITING VNEERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,864, dated September 30, 1902.

' Application filed August l, 1901. Serial No. 70,446. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, 'WILLIAM M. BOENNING, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Port Washington, in the county of Ozaukee and State of Wisconsin, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Edge-Uniting Veneer or Similar Mate rial, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for edge-uniting blanks of veneer or similar material.

It is necessary in order to obtain the full benefits from the use of veneer to be able to use narrow strips of the same as well as wide ones, and it has therefore become necessary to find a suitable way of uniting or edge-'gluing together blanks or strips of veneer.

The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus or device by means of which veneer may be united or edge-glued together quickly and satisfactorily-a machine or apparatus by means of which the labor and space heretofore necessary will be reduced.

A further object of my invention is to produce a machine or apparatus which may by the passing of the veneer strips or blanks therethrough unite them in a satisfactory manner, so that the united blanks or strips as they come out from said machine or apparatus will be capable of being handled and laid away to dry to be ready for use.

In accordance with the present invention two stripsor blanks of veneer each having a planed or otherwise trued edge are brought in contact with a revolving cylinder or roller supplied with glue, so that each trued edge will receive its proper amount. The blanks are then placed on a table in front of and forming part of the apparatus so that the trued edges will lie adjacent to one another and project over the upper surface of a conveyer in the same plane with the upper surface of the table and moving toward the rear thereof. The blanks are moved in the direction of the travel of the conveyer until their ends contact with the upper part of the conveyor, which ispsuspended immediately above and in line with the lower part. The two parts of this conveyer are moved at the same speed, and the lower part is so shaped and supported as to form a solid bed, while the upper part is yieldingly held in contact therewith, thus forming a combined conveyer and press for the blanks. A strip of suitable material, such as muslin or paper, on a spool or reel is arranged so as to pass over a gluedistributing roller or cylinder and lie against and move with the upper portion or part of the conveyer with the adhesive side down to lie over the joint between the two blanks, tending to couple or unite them. The blanks when caught in the jaw formed by the two portions of the conveyer are carried between four sets of rollerstwo lower and two upper sets. The lower sets, of rollers are driven at the same speed with which the conveyer moves, while the upper sets are merely idlers, so mounted as to beyieldingly held in contact with the blanks to give them a severe pressure.'

The upper and lower sets of rollers on one side are arranged so that their axes are at .right angles to the line of travel of the conveyor, thus holding and guiding the blanks passing between them straight. The other two sets are arranged so that their axes may be shifted, and they will preferably be arranged sothat they will tend to force the blank passing between them forward and toward the other blank,so that theadjacentedgesofsaid blanks will be brought in close contact, thus forcing out the superfluous amount of glue between them. The conveyor carries the blanks on past the rollers into a housing supplied with a warm dry air-blast for heating the blanks and setting the glue, and throughout its entire length the conveyer acts as a press or clamp. The housing is long enough so that as the blanks reach the end the glue will be set and they united ready to be laid away to dry.

In theaceompanyingdrawingsIhaveshown an apparatus representing a practical em bodiment of my invention and including novel combinations of parts and structural features forming the subject-matter of my invention, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view in cross-section, taken on lines -l l in Figs. 2 and 3. This view shows the jaw formed by the two parts of the conveyor. It also shows the strip of fabric or paper passing from its reel over a glue-distributing roller down onto the,

blanks of veneer. Fig. 2 is a front view in cross-section, taken on line 2 2 in Fig. 1. In this view two blanks of veneer may be seen on the table with the edges to be united between the two parts of the conveyer. Fig. 3 is a front view in cross-section, taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 1. This view illustrates the means by which the two sets of lower rollers are driven. Fig. 4 is a top view in cross-section, taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 3. This view shows one set of the lower rollers out of perpendicular to the line of travel of the conveyer forminga part of the means fortendingto force one blank out of the line of travel of the conveyer or toward the other blank. Fig. 5 is a detail view in cross-section, taken on line 7 7 in Fig. 3, and shows the means for driving the three rollers forming one of the lower sets from one gear-wheel. Fig. 6 is a detail view in crosssection, taken on line 6 6 in Fig. 3. This view illustrates the position of the rollers and conveyer with the blanks in place between them. Fig. 7 is a bottom View in detail of the shaft for driving the set of rollers which is out of perpendicular to the line of travel of the conveyer. Fig. 8 is a bottom view in detail, taken on line 8 8 in Fig. 2, and shows the means by which the position of one of the sets of rollers is allowed to be varied. Fig. 9 is a detail View of a portion of my apparatus. Fig. 10 is a detail view of two links of the conveyer. Fig. l1 is a view in cross-section, taken on line 11 1l in Fig. 10. Fig 12 is a detail view in cross-section, taken on line 12 12 in Fig. 4. Fig. 13 is a detail view of the means for supporting the conveyer and adjusting the tension of the means which yieldingly holds the upper part thereof toward or in contact with the lower part. Fig. 14 isa side elevation of my device, a portion of the same being broken away. Figs. 15 and 16 are details ofthe con- Voyer-chain.

Throughout the several views like elements are denoted by like characters.

In constructing this device I employ a frame or standard comprising legs da, bed a', and upright supports a2. Suitably secured to the forward part of this frame is a table-supporting bracket a3, provided with a table a4, upon which the veneer blanks will be placed after the edges to be united have been supplied with glue. The table is provided with a movable guide a5 for the veneer blanks, said guide being held in position by means of a groove a, within which slides a clamping device a7, secured to said guide. The table is also provided with a groove a8, within which lies a removable plate a9. \Vhen the veneer blanks are placed upon the table, the guide a5 will be moved up so that the edges of the veneer to be united will fall directly above the plate a, and as this plate in a short time will become gummed up it is made removable, so that it can be taken out and another one inserted while it is being cleaned. Secured to the frame and extending in the rear thereof is a bench or table b, forminga floor and support for the hot-air housing. This table is provided with any suitable legs or standards and at its rear end carries the driving mechanism for the apparatus. At suitable intervals throughout the length of said bench or table supporting arms or brackets c are placed. The lower arm of the bracket is secured to the floor and carries a roller track or 'way c for the lower part of the conveyor. This track or way comprises a frame formed of two side plates c2, bolted together at intervals throughout their length. Each side plate is recessed, as at c3, to form a seat or bearing for the axles c4 of rollers c5, closely mounted throughout the length of said way, as seen at c5, Fig. 4. Each side plate c2 is provided with a groove c6, and leading from these grooves down to the seats of the rollers are oilpassages c?. The upper arm of the support c is threaded to receive a screw-rod cg, provided with a hand-wheel c". The lower end of the rod o8 is provided with a supporting-ange om, which lies within a recess of a frame c and which extends immediately above the lower frame c'. This upper frame on is U-shaped and each side is slotted, as shown at G12. Located within the U-shaped frame and shaped to move up and down within the slots 012 are roller-supports ceach provided with a roller c14 and held in a downward position by, means of a spring 015, surrounding ashaft c1, movable within an opening in the top of said frame.

Journaled within suitable bearings d and dzisashaft d3,carryingatits centerasprocketwheel d4.

Suitably mounted on the rear end of the table b is a supporting-frame d5,within which is journaled a shaft d6, carrying a sprocketwheel (Z7 (shown by dotted lines) and a gearwheel d8, meshing with a Suitable drivinggear (Z9, by means of which power will be transmitted from any suitable supply to the apparatus.

Passing over the sprocket-wheels (Z4 and Z7 and resting on the rollers c5 of the lower way is an endless chain conveyer e, composed of links formed as illustrated in Figs. 10, 11, 15, and 16, having one corrugated face e and one straight face e2. The links of this conveyer are pinned together in any suitable manner by pins e3. (Shown by dotted line in Fig. 10.) The rods e8 serve as supports for a grooved track or way e4 for the return of the upper conveyer-chain.

The upright supports 0,2 have their inner sides planed and form guides for a frame al", movable vertically by means ofsuitable screwrods du a, threaded through the upper part of said supports at a12 all'. The frame a.10 at its center is provided with a supporting-arm n.13, within which is suitably journaled a shaft d, carrying a sprocket 0,15 for the upper chain of the conveyer. Suitably journaled within the frame d5 at the rear of the table or bench b is a sprocketwhee'l al, similar to am. The upper chain of the conveyer is adapted to lie beneath the rollers el of its way and IIO to pass around the sprocket-wheels @15 and dw and along its upper way e".

The bench or table b is provided with a housing b', comprising sides and a top which meets the conveyer-way e4. The housing at its forward and rear ends is provided with flexible lips b2, adapted to bear on the ltop and bottom of the veneer blanks as they pass within and out of said housing and have as their duty the keeping of the heated air within the housing except as it escapes through a suitable exhaust-port. The housing is provided with an opening b3 for admitting heated air, and a similar opening will be provided for allowing the air to escape, and these openings will preferably be located at the opposite ends of said housing.

The supporting-arm 0,13 is formed to and carries a glue-reservoir f, provided with a steam or hot-water jacket f', connected with a suitable steam or hot-water supply by means of a pipe Mounted on a shaft f3, suitably journaled Within the frame @13, is a glue-cylinder f4, formed of any suitable material and preferably covered with carpet. 'The shaft f3 is also provided with a sprocketwheel f5, in line with the sprocket-wheel f6, mounted on a shaft 0,11. A chain passes over said sprockets, and thus drives the cylinder f4. Mountedin a swinging framef7 is a gluedistributing cylinder f8, yieldingly held in contact with the cylinder f4 by means of springs f1 and f10, the tension of which may be varied by suitable screws f11 f11.

Journaled within the upper arms f12 of the supporting-frame @13 is a shaft f13, yieldingly held against movement by means of brakes f and carrying a reel or spooll f15, upon which is wound a strip of fabric fw, as muslin, or suitable material, such as paper. This strip passes from the reel down around a distributing-roller f8 and from said roller is supplied with glue on one side after the tank or reservoir f has been supplied with its glue f17. From the roller the strip passes down around the front end of the upper conveyer-chain and after being placed on the blanks of veneer above the joint between them it is automatically fed to the blanks which are entered in said machine af- A ter the first two.

Carried by the lioor of the bed a are frames Q, shaped and machined to form` suitable bearings gl and g2 for three shafts Q3, Q4, and

Q5, each of which is provided at one end withv The shafts Q3 and Q5 are each provided able frame, so that from the gear-wheel Q12 all of the rollers Qli are driven in the same direction, or toward the back of my apparatus.

Suitably supported by means of the frame d10 and directly above the rollers Q6 are three roller-supports, like h. Each of these supports at one end is recessed to receive a stem h', which may be moved vertically within said recess and held in position therein by means of a set-screw h2. The lower end of said stem is bifurcated and holds, by means of a screw h3, a shaft-bearing h4. The for- Ward end of each support h is recessed to receive a sliding member h5, which is formed at its lower end into a shaft-bearing. The sliding member 71,5 is provided with a pin h6, which works within a slot k7 in said support. This sliding member is held in a downward position by means of a spring located within said recess. Journaled within the bearings h1 and h5 are shafts hs, each carrying at its forward end a spirally-corrugated roller 71,9. The axes of these rollers, as well as the set below them, stand at right angles to the line of travel of the conveyer. Opposite the three roller-supporting frames h'are three similar roller-supporting frames j, provided with adjusting means and rollers similar to those carried by h. The roller-frames j are secured to the supporting-frame d10 by means of bolts j and (i2, which pass through slots similar to js, Fig. 5, in the floor of the supporting-frame d10, thus allowing the frames j to/ be swung so as to stand at different angles to the line of travel of the conveyer. Supported by the floor of the bed ct are three vroller-bearing supports 7c, k', and k2, similar to the supports Q and carrying rollers similar to rollers Q6 and gears similar to the gears carried by the shafts Q3, Q4, and Q5, the same being illustrated in Fig. 5. Each of these IOO roller-bearing supports is secured at its outer construction shown in Fig. 7 and carries a gear-wheel h5 for driving the rollers last referred to.

When power is applied to the shaft carrying the gear dg, the upper part of the lower chain of the conveyer-chain will be moved toward the back of the apparatus and through the medium of its sprocket-wheel d4will drive the shaft d3 and the gear Q11, which in turn will vdrive the gear Q10, and by means of knuckle-jointed shaft Q9 h3 and the gears carried by it the lower sets of rollers will be driven at the saine rate of speed as the conveyerchain. Two blanks of veneer after the edges to be united have been supplied with glue will be placed upon the table a4 with the edges to be united above the removable strip as and the upper surface of the lower conveyer- IIO chain, which will lie in the same plane as the surface of said table. The blanks will be moved toward the rear of the table until they will be caught within the jaw formed by the upper and lower conveyer-chains and carried between the upper and lower sets of rollers. The upper conveyer-chain is given motion by contact with the lower chain through the medium of the blanks of veneer. As has been shown, the strip of adhesive material will fall or be placed over the jointbetween the blanks as they are caught by the jaw. While the blanks are passing between the sets of rollers the left-hand blank will be carried straight along in the direction to the line of travel of the conveyer, as the axes of the left-hand rollers stand at right angles to the line of travel of the conveyer. The rollers on the right hand stand at acute angles to said line of travel and will tend to force the right-hand blank toward the other to force out the su perfluous glue between said blanks and tend to form a close joint between said blanks. The conveyer in conjunction with the rollers car ries said blanks beyond said rollers, and the conveyer by` itself will carry the blanks on into the housing,which is su pplied with heated air. The floor of the housing is provided with supports or guides Z, upon which the veneer in its travel will rest. The links of the chain forming the upper half of the conveyer are provided with two ilanges m, one located on each side of each link in its lower face and extending a short distance down therefrom and running longitudinally thereof. These flanges will tend to hold the blanks of veneer against lateral movement. The upper face of each of the links comprising the lower part of the conveyer-chain is provided with two lon gitudinally-extending recesses 'm5 m5, within which the flanges m are adapted to lie when there are no blanks of veneer between the two portions of the conveyer.

It has been found that if two blanks of veneer having trued edges to be united are run through the apparatus having the strip ot' adhesive material secured to them above the edges to be united when they come out at the rear end the adhesive material on the strip will be dry, so that the two blanks will be united by said strip and can then be bent, using said strip as a hinge, and glue applied to the edges thus held together, and that if the strips thus united are then turned so that the strip of adhesive material is down and placed so that the edges to be united are lower than the outer edges, thus bellying the two blanks, a tight joint will be formed between them. It has been found that this is a more satisfactory way of operating the device than applying glue to the edges to be united first, for in using the latter way the conveyerswill not become covered with the glue. Either way may be used, however, and my invention contemplates both.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isn l. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a two-part endless conveyer for carrying said blanks through said device, rollers tending to force one of said blanks at an angle to the line of travel of said conveyer and means adapted to act in conjunction with said conveyer for placing a strip of adhesive material above the joint between said blanks, substantially as described.

2. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a conveyer comprising two endless portions between which said blanks will be placed and by means of which they will be carried through said device, rollers arranged to force one of said blanks toward the other at an angle to the line of travel of said conveyer, mechanism for driving said conveyer and said rollers in nnison, in combination with a supply of paper or fabric, and a glue-distributing device, substantially as described.

3. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a conveyer comprising two endless portions, a roller-way adapted to support one of said portions throughout a portion of its length, rollers mounted so as to yieldingly bear on the other portion throughout a portion of its length, said rollers tending to keep the adjacent faces of said portions in contact one with the other, said conveyer adapted when two blanks of veneer are placed in said device to grip said blanks adjacent to their abutting edges, means tending to force one of said blanks in close contact with the other at an angle to the line of travel of said conveyer, a glue-distributing roller, a source of supply of paper or fabric arranged so that said fabric may contact with said glue-distributing roller and be guided and placed over the joint between said blanks by means of one portion of said conveyer, substantially as described.

4. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, means for carrying said blanks in one direction, mechanism tending to force one of said blanks at an angle to the line of travel of said means and a distribnter for placing a strip of adhesive material above the joint between said blanks.

5. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a conveyer adapted to grip said blanks adjacent to their abutting edges and to carry the same through said device, means tending to force one of said blanks toward the other or atan angle to the line of travel of the conveyer, and mechanism acting in conjunction with said conveyer for placing a strip of adhesive material on said blanks over their abutting edges.

6. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a conveyer comprising two endless portions between which the two blanks to be joined will be fed and by which they will be carried through said device, rollers arranged so as to force one of said blanks toward the other or at an angle to the line of travel of said conveyer and a IIO source of supply of adhesive material situated so that said material will be carried by one of the portions of said conveyer and placed on said blanks above the joint between them, substantially as described.

7. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, means tending to force said blanks in close contact with each other, a housing and mechanism moving in the direction of the length of the joint between said blanks adapted to hold said blanks in close contact and convey the same through said housing, substantially as described.

8. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, means tending to force said blanks together, a housing and a conveyer moving longitudinally of the abutting edges of said blanks adapted to hold said blanks in close contact and convey the same through said housing, substantially as described.

9. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, rollers tending to force one of said blanks toward the other, mechanism moving in the direction of the length of the joint betweensaid blanks adapted to hold the same in close contact and convey them through said housing in combination with mechanism working in conjunction with said conveying means for placing a strip of adhesive material on said blanks above their abutting edges, substantially as described.

lO. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a table on which said blanks are placed, means for gripping said blanks simultaneously and imparting movement thereto, mechanism tending to force one of said blanks toward the other or out of the line of movement given by said means, a supply of adhesive material and a distributer acting in conjunction with said means for placing said adhesive material on said blanks above the joint between them, substantially as described.

l1. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a table or support upon which said blanks are placed side by side, a moving bed or conveyer, a press adapted to move in unison with said bed, said press and said bed each adapted to grip both of said blanks simultaneously and to carry the same along said bed,'means located at one side of said bed adapted to contact with one of said blanks and force the same toward the other, said bed and said press being formed so as to hold said blanks in close contact, one with the other, a source of supply of narrow paper or other suitable material, a device for distributing glue to said paper or other material, said material being adapted after the end thereof has been placed on said blanks above their abutting edges being distributed on the succeeding blanks to be fed into said device by means of said press, and mechanism for moving said bed, substantially as described.

12. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material,a conveyer comprising an endless bed,'and means for holding the blanks on said bed, a table on which said blanks are placed, said table being provided with an opening through which said bed moves, rollers arranged back of said table at one side of said bed with which said blanks in the movement given to them by said bed are adapted to contact, said rollers being arranged so as to force said blank toward other blanks, means operating in conjunction with said conveyer' for placinga strip of adhesive materialen the succeeding blanks over their abutting edges after said adhesive material has been placed on said first-mentioned blanks above their abutting edges,and means for moving said conveyer, substantially as described.

13. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a conveyer for said blanks, rollers standing at right angles to the line of travel of said conveyer between which one of said blanks is adapted to pass, rollers standing at acute angles to the line of travel of said conveyer between which the other of said blanks is adapted to pass, a housing through which said conveyer passes and means for heating said housing.

14C. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a conveyer for said blanks, upper and lower rollers standing at right angles to the line of travel of said conveyer between which one of said blanks is adapted to pass, means tending to yieldingly hold the upper rollers in contact with said blank,upper and lower rollers standing at acute angles to the line of travel of said` conveyer between which the other of said blanks is adapted to pass, means yieldingly holding the upper of said last-mentioned rollers in.

contact with said last-mentioned blank and mechanism for driving said conveyer and the lower of said rollers at the same speed.

15. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a conveyer moving longitudinally of the abutting edges of said blanks, means tending to force said blanks together and a distributer acting in conjunction with said conveyer for placing a strip of adhesive material above the abutting edges of said blanks.

16. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a two-part end- IOO IIO'

less-chain conveyer for conveying said blanks through the device, one chain adapted to support said blanks and one chain adapted to bear on the upper surfaces of said blanks; the veneer-contacting faces of one of said chains formed with sharp projections for penetrating said veneer to hold said veneer from lmovement laterally of said chain; the other of said chains being formed with recesses to accommodate said projections when no veneer lies between said chains.

17'.` In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, a two-part endless conveyer moving in the direction of the length of the joint between said blanks adapted to grip said blanks and convey them through said device and rollers arranged at one side of said conveyer to force one of said blanks toward the other.

1S. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer orsimilar material, aconveyer moving in the direction of the length of the joint between said blanks for carrying said blanks through said device, a rollerarranged at one side of the conveyer adapted to contact with one of said blanks and force it toward the other blank and protruding members on said conveyer for holding said blanksin close con-` said blanks for carrying the same throughI said device and means on said conveyer for preventing said blanks after they have been forced together from separating.

21. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, means tending to force said blanks together, a conveyer moving longitudinally of the abutting edges of said blanks for carrying the same through said device and protruding members 011 said conveyer adapted to hold said blanks in close contact one with the other. y

22. In a device for edge-uniting two blanks of veneer or similar material, rollers arranged to force said blanks together, two endless chains forming a conveyer and having their adjacent faces moving longitudinally of the abutting edges of said blanks, a rigid roller "way for one of said chains and a yielding roller-way for the other of said chains for yieldingly forcing said last-mentioned chain toward the other.

Signed by me at PortWashington this 11th day of July, 1901.

WILLIAM M.v BOENNING.

Witnesses: A

JNo.,S. GREEN, v WILLIAM AHLHAUSER. 

